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As a powerful symbol of royal authority the Royal Arms, in its various forms, has featured on the coinage of almost every monarch since the reign of Edward III (1327-77). Coins were, and still are, issued under the personal authority of the monarch and came to be regarded as vehicles for royal imagery, whether in the form of a portrait or a monarch's personal Coat of Arms.
As heraldry itself started to grow as a symbol of royal identity, it was a natural progression for it to appear on the coinage. It is not surprising then that Matthew Dent, the winning designer, chose the Royal Arms, and in particular the shield of the Royal Arms, as the theme for his innovative range of new designs, with all four quarters spread over the six coins from the 1p to the 50p. Completing the new range of coins is the £1 coin featuring the shield of the Royal Arms in its entirety, uniting the six fragmented elements into one design.
The process of choosing the new designs to replace the familiar heraldic emblems on Britain's circulating coins began with a public competition which generated more than 4,000 designs from over 500 people - the largest response to any public competition organised to change the British coinage. Matthew Dent, a professional graphic designer, had seen the competition advertised in one of the national newspapers and he threw himself wholeheartedly into the project. In seeking to spread a single design across six denominations, Matthew Dent conceived an idea that has never been realised before on the British coinage. Against all the odds, a young artist has won a public competition and devised a stunningly original series that stands as an imaginative and clever solution.
As their name suggests, Piedforts are closely associated with France where they can be traced back to the twelfth century, while in England the striking of such pieces began later and was less frequent. These thicker than normal prestige coins were produced across Europe, as the exchange of valuable gifts between rulers and members of their entourage became an established courtly tradition. Since 1982 and the introduction of the 20p, the Royal Mint has continued to strike extremely limited numbers of Piedforts in sterling silver to premier Proof standard to commemorate special anniversaries or to celebrate a brand new design. The rarity and craftsmanship involved in producing these superior double-thickness coins will ensure that they are appreciated and treasured for generations to come.
To read more about Matthew Dent and his new designs please view http://www.royalmint.com/newdesigns